Before the election, Senator Trillanes accused Duterte of not declaring his bank accounts in BPI-Julia Vargas Avenue branch.

The then-mayor confirmed that he did not declare the said bank accounts since he already spent the funds there.

Senator Trillanes is now accusing the President of charging him with the alleged bank accounts to divert the public’s attention.

The battle behind the hidden bank accounts began last national elections. [Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons and Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV/Facebook]

Controversies before the Election

A few days before the national elections last May 2016, there was an initial face-off between the then-presidential candidate Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV at the Bank of the Philippines branch in Julia Vargas Avenue Pasig City. According to the controversial senator, the then-mayor Duterte had at least P227 million in his BPI-Julia Vargas branch account that he did not include in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth.

President Rodrigo Duterte won the hearts of a lot of Filipinos earning him the Presidential seat. [Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]Duterte refused to sign a waiver and denied having an account in the said BPI branch. However, after some netizens posted a copy of deposit transaction receipts sent to his BPI account, he admitted that he has two bank accounts in there.

One with P17,000 and another one with less than P50,000. He also stated that he did not declare the said funds in his 2014 SALN because he already spent it and they were given as a birthday gift from friends.

The President with one of his closest subordinates, PNP Chief Bato. [Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Returning of Allegations

Now, the President turned the tables and accused Senator Trillanes of having international bank accounts across Australia, America, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore containing millions of dollars. The senator went to Singapore last September 18 to clarify the issues regarding his secret offshore bank accounts.

He went to the DBS branch in Alexandra Road with a printout of a supposed account registered under the name of his father. The teller from DBS confirmed that there was no such account in the bank. However, Trillanes failed to get a certification from the bank since he was not a client there.

The soldier turned senator also signed a waiver for the alleged 12 bank accounts linked to him and dared the president to do the same. He claimed that Duterte is accusing him of his hidden wealth to divert the attention of the public against his allegations to the President’s son, Vice Mayor Paolo of Davao who was in the recent news because of the allegedly smuggled P6.4 billion worth of shabu last May.

Vice Mayor Paolo “Pulong” Duterte is one of the President’s sons. [Image Credit: Vice Mayor Pulong Duterte – Official/Facebook]What do you think is the truth behind this pointing fingers, “your wealth not mine” game? Who has hidden health no declared in the SALN?

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Kristina is a freelance writer and author of "My Thrifty Thoughts." She loves random weekend trips, coffee, toys, and spas. Guided by her mantra "chill and travel," she enjoys unplanned escapades without compromising leisure and budget. Her free hours are spent reading books, watching dramas and movies, doing toy reviews or thinking about her next travel destination.